CLINTON, S.C. – The drama was top-tier for the Presbyterian College softball team as the tight-knit scores keep pouring in, dropping a pitcher's dual to Monmouth 2-0 but rebounding with perhaps the highlight of the season so far via a
Mallory Fletcher 8
th-inning walk-off double to help PC get by Cleveland State, 2-1.
Presby's defense was exceptional over 15 innings, as the tandem of
Peyton Duncan and
Kasey Wolfe allowed just three combined runs (with one of them coming in extra's where a customary runner was automatically placed on second base).
For the most part, PC's offense was similarly frigid to their opponent which matched the cold weather. However, they'd walk away with a split thanks to Fletcher's high-stakes double that brought home both
Gracie DeCuir and
Baxleigh Arnette.
Remarkably, eight of Presbyterian's 11 games at this point have been decided by two runs or less. All six Scotsman victories have come by no greater than three runs, creating a clutch gene that has generated numerous memorable moments already in 2025.
NOTABLES
- Fletcher's senior campaign has gotten off to a terrific start, cashing in on four hits Saturday which brings her season average up to a sizzling .484. That's the third-highest BA in the Big South among those who have reached at least 30 at-bats.
- Wolfe delivered another swiss-army-knife performance in the thriller over the Vikings, tossing all eight frames while hitting 2-of-3 and laying down a quality sacrifice bunt in the last inning.
- PC's pitching surrendered just eight hits out of a total of 61 batters faced, letting the defense do the majority of the talking as they won their first extra-innings contest since March 17 of last year (a home W over league rival Winthrop).
- Moved to the cleanup spot on Saturday due to her exquisite hitting, Fletcher has now cranked seven extra-base hits in less than three full weekends, adding up for a slugging percentage of .871 (also the third-highest in the conference).
GAME 1 – MONMOUTH def. PC, 2-0
- The sixth inning tells nearly the whole story of PC's first encounter with Monmouth since 2020, with the game's only two runs happening there near the finish line.
- Duncan was very efficient despite being tagged with the loss, aiding the Blue Hose to what is now four games of limiting the other side to two runs or less.
- Head coach
David Williams' gang earned two base-runners while they were down to their final out, although a backwards K from Hawk starter Jayla Cadena signaled the end of the low-scoring duel.
GAME 2 – PC def. CLEVELAND STATE, 2-1 (8)
- Neither team could break the ice in regulation as Presbyterian met CSU for the second time in three years, as Wolfe and Viking starter Avery Robinson kept playing chess against each batter that stepped before them.
- It seemed that luck just wasn't going to be on PC's side after a 7
th-inning sequence where they held runners on 2
nd and 3
rd with just one away but couldn't slam the door shut.
- A fielder's choice caught pinch-runner
Sabrina Rose in a pickle after
Kendall Owens started the inning with a triple, eventually staying at a 0-0 deadlock with a flyball to leftfield that stranded runners on the corners.
- Things kept moving south as Cleveland State scored their only run of the night and a potential game-winner with only one out recorded in the top of the 8
th, although Wolfe forced two groundouts afterward to make the comeback manageable.
- The Blue Hose left no doubt in their last chance, walking things off without a single batter retired in the bottom of the 8
th. Wolfe's sac bunt placed Arnette and DeCuir (who walked) in scoring position, leaving Fletcher to do the honors.
UP NEXT
- Just one game remains in the Scotsman Invitational before PC's 12-game homestand comes to a close, entertaining Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday at 12:15. UMES is in search of a momentum-boost, having lost their first two games this weekend 18-0 put together.
- Tomorrow's clash in Clinton will be streamed live on ESPN+, following the Hawks' earlier game versus Monmouth.
